Bed or chair with supporting surfaces having angular positions variable in relation to each other



Feb. 28, 1967 e. P. c. NIELSEN 3,305,877

BED OR CHAIR WITH SUPPORTING SURFACES HAVING ANGULAH POSITIONS VARIABLEIN RELATION TO EACH OTHER Filed Oct. 7. 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 28,1967 G. P. c. NIELSEN 3,305,877

BED OR CHAIR WITH SUPPORTING SURFACES HAVING ANGULAR POSITIONS VARIABLEIN RELATION TO EACH OTHER Filed Oct. '7, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mm IUnited States Patent Ofiice 33%,877 Patented Feb. 28, 1967 3,305,877 BEDR CHAiR WITH SUPPORTING SURFACES HAVING ANGULAR POSITIONS VARIABLE INRELATION T6 EACH OTHER Georg Peter Christian Nielsen, Copenhagen,Denmark,

assignor to Christensen, Allen & (30., Copenhagen, Denmark, a firm FiledOct. 7, 1965, Ser. No. 493,771 Claims priority, application Denmark,Oct. 16, 1964, 5,133/64 4 Claims. ((31. 5-67) The invention relates to abed or chair with supporting surfaces having angular positions variablearbitrarily in relation to each other, the supporting surfaces beingsupported by frames which are interconnected by links and which by meansof at least one locking mechanism may be fixed in an adjusted positionin relation to the bed prop-er.

An object of the invention is to provide a bed in which the incliningposition of the back supporting surface in relation to a horizontalplane may readily be varied and fixed in any arbitrary position,preferably by a person lying in the bed, and in such manner that theadjustment requires no mechanical power or exertion of manual strength.It is a further object to make the bed in such manner that the user orpatient has no tendency, as is otherwise the case, to slide down towardsthe foot of the bed when the back supporting surface has been turned upinto a more or less inclining position.

An essential feature of the bed according to the invention is that aseat supporting surface is mounted substantially horizontally in aparallel guide consisting of at least one system of bars with two barswhich are parallel with each other and pivotal about two fixed points ofthe bed structure located beneath a back supporting surface, each barbeing furthermore pivotally connected with a downwardly extending armthat is rigidly connected with the seat supporting surface, the fixedcenter of rotation of the upper parallel bar being located on a pivotalaxis for the frame of the back supporting surface; the said frame may inany angular position be locked to the bed structure by means of alocking mechanism, preferably operable from the bed.

When the locking mechanism is released by the person lying in the bed,the seat supporting surface will by the action of gravity movedownwards, retaining its substantially horizontal position, and at thesame time the frame of the back supporting surface which is linked tothe seat supporting surface will swing upwards with the person in thebed raising the upper part of the body. When the desired inclinedposition of the back is reached, the locking mechanism is again operatedso that the frame of the back supporting surface is locked in thatposition. On moving downwards, the seat supporting surface carries withit the frame of the supporting surface for the thighbones so that thissupporting surface is brought into an inclined position opposite to thatof the back supporting surface. As a result the occupant of the bed isprevented from sliding forward as the back supporting surface is raised.The design is very suitable for use in connection with beds of the kindin which the supporting surfaces for back and thigh-bones are lamellaeattached at one end to the supporting frame while at the other end theyextend between corresponding lamellae that constitute the seatsupporting surface.

An essential feature of one embodiment of the bed according to theinvention having a bed structure with two longitudinal side members anda parallel guide at each side member is that the side members have adownwardly cranked or depressed section extending beneath the frame ofthe seat supporting surface and beneath parts of the frames for the backand thigh-bone supporting surfaces, the upper parallel bar of each guidebeing constituted by a bar beneath the side of the frame of the backsupporting surface, which frame is pivotal about an axis through theside members directly beside the cranked sections. The cranked sectionaffords room for lowering of the seat supporting surface from lying tositting position and the cranked section is well suited for attachmentof supporting and "locking means.

To enable a patient occupying the bed to readily readjust it fromsitting to lying position and conversely by utilizing his own weight,the locking mechanism for fixing and releasing the back supportingsurface should be as easily operable as possible. This is achieved in abed with one or more locking mechanisms of the kind having a spindlethat is axially displa'ceable by the action of a pressure member, thesaid spindle having transverse holes for fixing of transverse bars toouter supporting means. The said bed has the essential feature thatsupporting bars pivotally mounted in the back supporting frame arepassed through transverse holes provided in a pivotal tube mounted onthe bed and that the pressure member at at least one end of the spindleis constitued by a longitudinally adjustable pressure screw mounted in aholder which may be swivelled by means of a handle. When the saidpressure screw is substantially coaxial with the spindle, the pressurescrew may tread on a pressure rod that is freely displaceable in anaxial bore of the spindle so as to wedge the nearest transversesupporting bar between the pressure rod and the hole edges of the tubeattached to the bed structure, displacing the spindle in such mannerthat the remaining supporting bar or bars are locked between hole edgesin the spindle and the pivotal tube, respectively. The handle foroperating the swingalble holder may without difficulty be passedrforward beside the bed and thus be operated by the person in the bed.There may likewise at the other end of the pivotal tube mounted on theframe be provided a pressure member in the form of a screw screwed intothe spindle so that either this screw or the swingable pressure membermay be used as desired. This enables, among other things, a nurse tofasten the back supporting surface in a definite inclined position bymeans of a locking member which cannot, or can only with difiioulty, bereached by a patient that is unable to operate the bed mechanismappropriately.

To enable the swingable holder to be fixed in position, it may in apreferred embodiment according to the invention be passed slightlybeyond the position in which the holder is coaxial with the spindle torest in contact with a stop which according to the invention isconveniently constituted by an adjustable screw projecting from theswingable holder and forming a stop for the holder in the said lockedposition.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to thedrawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows an embodiment of the bed according to the invention,viewed from the side,

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the same, certain parts being removed for thesake of clarity,

FIGURE 3 is a locking mechanism for fixing the position of the backsupporting surface, viewed towards the head of the bed, on an enlargedscale, and

FIGURE 4 a part of the mechanism shown in FIG- URE 3, viewed from above.

The bed shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 has a base frame or structure includinglongitudinal side members 1 for supporting a number of supportingsurfaces linked to each other, each having a closed supporting frame.Side members 1 are provided with depressed section D. The saidsupporting frames are all hinged together along axes extendingtransversely of the bed, and a frame 2 of the seat supporting surface isat each side member carried by a parallel guide consisting of two bars 3and 4 and a downwardly extending arm 5 in fixed connection with theframe 2 which is superposed above section D. By this system of bars theseat supporting surface may perform a translatory movement upwards anddownwards, the bars 3 and 4 turning about pivot points 6 and 7 on eitherside member.

In the embodiment disclosed, the upper bar 3 of the parallel guide formsthe side in the frame 8 of the back supporting surface so that the saidframe pivots about the transverse axis through the points 6 and thus, inits unlocked position, will swing upwards about the said axis when theperson lying in the bed raises the upper part of his body and thus byhis weight forces the seat supporting surface downwards. Frame 8 ispartially superposed above and can tilt into section D. By movement offrames 8 and 2 the frame 10 of the thigh bone supporting surface is alsoturned, whereby this surface 'is brought into an upwardly incliningposition preventing the user of the bed from sliding forward.

The bed illustrated is of the kind in which the back and thigh-bonesupporting surfaces are constituted by lamellae 9 which are attached atone end to the frames 3 and 10, respectively, their other end beingpassed into spaces between lamellae 9' which are attached to the frame 2and constitute a seat supporting surface. The seat supporting surfacemay. be fixed in the desired level by means of a locking mechanism 11for locking upwardly extending suppoting bars 11' attached to the frame.ing locking mechanisms 11 with supporting bars 11 are provided at theother frames of the bed. The effective length of the seat supportingsurface may be adjusted by transverse bars 12 which support the lamellae9 being displaced in racks (not shown) provided beneath the frame 2.

In the bed according to the invention there may be used with specialadvantage a locking mechanism of the kind shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. Atthe side member on one side of the bed is attached a bow 14 in which alongitudinally adjustable pressure screw or thrust device 13 ispivotally mounted by means of a swingable holder 13'. When the pressurescrew 13 is at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the bed, itis in alignment with an axially displaceable spindle 15 mounted in apivotal tube on the bed. In the said position the pressure screw 13 ispressing against a pressure rod 17 which is displaceable in a boreprovided in the spindle 15, and the said pressure rod 17, again, treadson a transverse bar 19 which is freely pivotal on the frame 8 of theback supporting surface and is passed through transverse holes providedin the tube 26 and the spindle 15. A similarly pivotaltransverse bar 18is passed through holes provided in the spindle 15and the tube 20" atthe other side of the bed. As the pressure rod 17 treads on thetransverse bar 19 the latter is wedged between the pressure rod and theopposite hole edges in the tube 20, and the spindle I 15 which has aflange 16 is subjected to tension, whereby the other transverse bar 18is wedged between the hole edges in the spindle 15 and the tube 20,respectively.

For the sake of clarity the locking mechanism is not shown in detail inFIGURES 1 and 2, but from FIGURE 1 it will be appreciated how a handle22 for turning the pressure screw 13 may be passed forward beside thebed. The swingable holder 13 carries a projecting adjustable screw 21constituting a stop for the holder in the locked Correspondposition, inwhich the pressure screw 13 is turned slightly beyond the position inwhich it is coaxial with the spindle 15, so that the locking mechanismis not liable to release itself, the abutting ends of the pressure screw13 and the pressure rod 17 being formed as hard ball surfaces.

In the opposite end of the spindle 15 is formed a female thread for apressure screw, if necessary, that may tread on the transverse bar 18 sothat the back supporting surface may also be fastened from this side ofthe bed. The locking mechanisms 11 for the other supporting frames maybe designed in corresponding manner.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An article, of furniture comprising a base frame means, a backsupporting frame superposed relative to said base frame means, pivotmeans connecting the back supporting frame at an intermediate positionof its length to the base frame means, a horizontal seat framesuperposed over said frame means, link means supported from said baseframe means and coupling said seat and back supporting frames so that,as the back supporting frame pivots on said base frame means, said seatframe is raised and lowered relative to said base frame whilemaintaining its horizontal attitude, a downwardly extending arm rigidlyon said seat frame, said link means including a link extending parallelto said back supporting frame and having one end pivotally coupled tosaid arm at a location in vertical alignment with the pivot connectionbetween the seat frame and the back supporting frame, and an oppositeend pivotally connected with said base frame means at a location invertical alignment below said pivot means, to constitute a parallelogramfor raising and lowering the seat frame While maintaining the horizontalattitude thereof, and locking means to lock said frames in fixedposition relative to said base frame means.

2. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 1 comprising athigh-support frame coupled to said seat frame and tiltably supported onsaid base frame means whereby to follow movements of the seat frame andto change inclination relative to said base frame means.

3. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 1 wherein said lockingmeans comprises a hollow spindle on said base frame means, a bar pivotedto said back supporting frame and extending diametrally through saidspindle, an axially displaceable rod in the spindle to thrust axiallyagainst the bar to lock the same in position, and pivotal thrust meanspivotal on an axis perpendicular to said rod to engage andexert an axialforce on the latter.

4. An article of furniture as claimed in claim 3, wherein the rod andpivotal thrust means include engaging portions which have relative deadcenter positions of maximum engagement, comprising stop means forstopping the pivotal thrust means after the latter moves past the deadcenter position whereby to lock the pivotal thrust means in position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,003,160 10/1961Goodman 5-69 3,127,783 4/1964 Martens 5-68 X 3,175,229 3/1965 Bergenwall5-66 3,184,765 5/1965 Katz 5-67 3,211,495 10/1965 Nielsen 297-68 FRANKB. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Examiner.

1. AN ARTICLE OF FURNITURE COMPRISING A BASE FRAME MEANS, A BACKSUPPORTING FRAME SUPERPOSED RELATIVE TO SAID BASE FRAME MEANS, PIVOTMEANS CONNECTING THE BACK SUPPORTING FRAME AT AN INTERMEDIATE POSITIONOF ITS LENGTH TO THE BASE FRAME MEANS, A HORIZONTAL SEAT FRAMESUPERPOSED OVER SAID FRAME MEANS, LINK MEANS SUPPORTED FROM SAID BASEFRAME MEANS AND COUPLING SAID SEAT AND BACK SUPPORTING FRAMES SO THAT,AS THE BACK SUPPORTING FRAME PIVOTS ON SAID BASE FRAME MEANS, SAID SEATFRAME IS RAISED AND LOWERED RELATIVE TO SAID BASE FRAME WHILEMAINTAINING ITS HORIZONTAL ATTITUDE, A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING ARM RIGIDLYON SAID SEAT FRAME, SAID LINK MEANS INCLUDING A